A/N: Thanks to Reklar for the help editting this beast.
"I wouldn't exactly call it an ambush," I said as I sipped my coffee.
"Bloody heroic is what I'd call it," Zaeed grumbled, pouring equal amounts of cream and sugar into his. Garrus nodded in agreement.
"I don't think so," I managed, having another spoonful of grits with plenty of butter. I hate grits. But Gardner was back to running on ration packs now. Garrus crossed his arms, and Kelly raised an eyebrow. She winced as it pulled at the butterfly bandage on her brow. It was kind of cute.
"It still wasn't an ambush."
ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME
We had hit the Cerebus safehouse hard and fast. There were only five of them, and as soon as they saw me boot in the door, they surrendered. Miranda limped in after me, wincing in pain. I didn't think she should be fighting so soon after getting hurt, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. We held them at gunpoint, trussed them up as Miranda and Oriana embraced. Everything was going great until twenty or so Cerebus shock troops shot down our shuttle halfway back to the ship. We hit the ground hard. I was the first out.
From there, it was a reasonably simple fight. We huddled around our shuttle until Jacob brought down the Mantis they had rode in on with his rocket launcher. Everyone cheered, almost forgetting there was a second one as the shock troopers pressed forwards. Oriana stayed behind the shuttle, cowering as we traded fire with the Cerberus goon squad. Things were actually looking pretty rough until the Hind showed up. I haven't ever seen Cerberus fighter run...well, until the gunship showed up, blasting the other Mantis to bits and opening its drop doors. Fifteen drop troopers jumped as one, slamming to earth in seconds. Their mass effect field kicked in feet above the ground, and they were in the fight. Jack and Samara led the way, dropping on their biotic powers, lashing out. The shock troopers never stood a chance. One of them got around us, though. Cloaking field. I saw the slight distortion, threw myself on Oriana, and took the round. And let me tell you, it hurt like hell.
ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME
The Mil Mi-99 was the first design out of the newly reformed Mil plants. They did a lot of research to build that beauty. It was twice the size of the Mantis, rolled off the line the first year I was dead. It couldn't hardly break into the market, considering the Mantis had something to the tune of seventy percent of the market share. Liara managed to get us two of them. I mean, it made the hangar really cramped, but it was a beast. Armor twice as heavy as the Mantis, more cannon, bigger troop bay- one capable of carrying four bucket heads, or two sections of troopers. It was put up for trials to be the next ride for the Drop Infantry, something that could deploy them from orbit or do close air and insertion at the same time. But, budget cuts meant most of them languished or ended up in private hands simply because they were four times the price of the Mantis. Ours were treated in various shades of digital grey, the beautiful beasts.
Oriana was with her sister in the medbay when I got there. Miranda was on the table grimacing as Doc Chakwas stitched her closed again. The firefight had split all the wounds on her ribs open, and one on her calf. She winced and sat up when I walked into the infirmary.
"Sir, I just want to say..."
"It's fine, Miranda. Sit down. How are you feeling?"
She glanced aside, uncomfortable.
"So you're hurting. Alright. Doc, put her on light duties. Miranda, you're running everything now, getting logistics and things in order. We need to start getting more recruits, more equipment and you know it. Doc, how's Tali, by the way?"
"Better, Commander. A few days of bed rest and she'll be good as new."
Oriana looked up at me.
"Shepard. I can help."
I glanced down at her. She was definitely younger. I nodded.
"Well, put your best contacts forwards."
Chakwas glanced at me.
"Shepard, sit yourself down. I want to check you over."
"Just a bruise, Doc. Don't worry yourself."
She frowned and grumbled. Miranda looked up at me. She smiled, clearly on her last legs.
"Thank you, sir, for..."
"Get some rest, Miranda. Doc, is Oriana good to go?"
"Yes, Commander. I still say you should be more careful, however. And if your ribs are bruised, you owe me a brandy."
I grinned, and she grumbled some more as Miranda lay her head back down. I looked at Oriana.
"Walk with me."
She followed me out of the medbay and into the mess. It was stuffed with troopers in fatigues, all eating. Gardner waved as he poured another laddle full of what one of the corporals had loudly called 'cream of ass soup' onto Gabby's plate. She recoiled a little, face grim as she headed towards the packed table. I grabbed a tray, jumped the line, and grabbed the least objectionable offering: breakfast. I thanked Gardner, and Oriana and I stepped into the elevator.
"You don't have to stay here, Oriana. Well, at least on the ship. But if you do, I'm going to need you to make yourself useful. I want the ship hot-bunking in a week or two, so if you don't find a way to make yourself useful, I'm afraid you'll have to stay planetside."
"Well, I have a business degree..."
"Well, then use it. Get Gardner food, more ammunition, and anything fun you can find out there. Kelly will supervise."
She frowned as we stepped out onto the bridge. The marines snapped salutes, and there was a booming 'captain on the bridge'. I saluted and put everyone at ease. What seemed to be a sea of blue berets swarmed from monitor to monitor as men and women in grey overalls pieced things together. We had taken on some more crew since we had gotten back, apparently. Kelly nodded at me.
"Kelly, this is Miranda's sister. You're in charge of her, put her to work."
Kelly nodded and smiled. She wasn't quite the same after the rescue. She had a V-shaped scar just below her hairline, still stitched shut. Most of the time, her copper hair covered it. Not today. She had a sidearm on, the Phalanx I gave her. She carried it everywhere.
"Have time for a debrief, Commander?"
"Alright, I'm going to grab a coffee though. Want to join me?"
"Sure, Commander."
I nodded at Oriana.
"You start tomorrow, so start lining your ducks up," I said to her before stepping away with Kelly. I let Oriana fume a bit...not that I have anything against her, but she needed to get used to military discipline. Being the lowest head on the totem pole, doing some menial work instead of enjoying a life of privilege. At any rate, we made our way down to the main gunnery bay. Zaeed was already there, the shoddy little coffee maker from his room resting atop a sealed crate.
ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME
Garrus laughed. Outright laughed.
"Sometimes I forget what an ass you can be, Shepard."
Kelly just stared at her coffee, shaking her head. Kelly's bright green eyes sparkled, and Zaeed pulled a pack of smokes from his pocket, offering them around. We all shook our heads, and he pulled his lighter out. Coffee in one hand, smokes in the other, he reclined against the railing. His slung rifle clanked against it, and he grumbled, shoving it out of the way. Garrus sipped his tea, and there was a nice moment of silence. The kind of quiet between friends that isn't awkward. Everyone drank a little coffee.
"So, how long do you think I can hide here before some horrible problem ends up in my lap?" I asked half jokingly. Zaeed rolled his good eye.
"Well, now you've done it, dumbass. You mentioned it, and now it's going to happen."
Garrus nodded.
"I don't know why humans are so superstitious, but it always makes me laugh."
"Oh!" Kelly said, eyes lighting up. She glanced at everyone, rolled up one of the loose sleeves of her greens. Her skin was still red...and sure enough, there was a tattoo. It was a distinctly unladylike pair of fighting tigers on her bicep, and six simple words: Death is certain, life is not. She flashed a grin as Zaeed nodded.
"Bettern' Born to Lose by a damn sight. Good on ya."
Garrus tilted his head.
"I'll never understand you people," he said, shaking his head.
"You have tattoos," I countered, "What's not to understand?"
"The slogans! Why do humans feel the need to write all-"
There was a chime, and everyone looked at me. EDI spoke quietly.
"Commander, incoming message from Admiral Hackett."
"I'll take it in the medbay."
I walked over, the blue smoke trailing behind me as I left the gunnery bay. Sure enough, Chakwas was gone, nodding to me as I walked in. By the time the Admiral was done with me, I wasn't smiling anymore. I didn't want my half cup of coffee. I begged off everyone. Zaeed nodded, knowing what was coming. Kelly frowned. Garrus snorted, and threw me a turian salute before heading for the bridge.
I was checking my weapons on the way to the Hind alone, ready. Breathing steadily in and out as the pilot made his checks, co-pilot with him. The troop bay was so empty. Not cold, not warm, just there and dim. It took me half a moment to feel the warmth of a body beside me, and I glanced over.
"C'mon out, Kasumi."
She snorted as she decloaked. There were the sounds of clanking bootsteps on the deck as I turned to her.
"Rookie mistake."
"I know. I couldn't resist...theatrics, you know? I was going to decloak when the others got aboard."
"Others?"
Samara and Jack stepped onto the craft as the bays closed up. I could hear the drives whine. They were both dressed in their best; Samara in her red armor, Kasumi in her blacks, and Jack in the same pieced-together set of greaves and cuirass. Her mirrorshades hid her expression, but Jack thrust her chin at me.
"We're coming with."
"This is a stealth mission, Jack."
"I don't give a fuck. I get loud, they catch a glimpse of me, and it's a straight-up Omega jailbreak. Besides, can't let you go alone. That's how motherfuckers like you get all hurt and shit."
Samara nodded her assent, and Kasumi grinned. The drives whined to life, and we set out. Everyone checked weapons on the five minute ride, until we hit atmosphere. It was a quiet ride, mostly because I was a little pissed that they were coming along. I mean, it's not like I could order them around. I could try, but the set of Jack's jaw left me with the impression that she'd just tell me where to stick it and come along anyways. I looked at her as we rode down, and we looked at me, grim. Her usually close-shorn hair was getting long, but I just chalked it up to her slacking off.
"Always being the hero has consequences, Shepard. One day, you will take on more than you are capable of," Samara warned me, matronly and stern. I nodded and grumbled, looking over the others. The pilot didn't stop as we skimmed a hundred feet above the ground, simply throwing on the green light and opening the bay door, clearly expecting us to jump.
"Besides, me and Samara know how to keep a low profile. What could go wrong?" Kasumi asked as we edged towards the hole in the deck. Just before we leapt, I looked at Jack. I noticed something else...a new tattoo. A skull, and the words 'Death is certain, life is not' on the front of her bicep. She winked, and we fell as Jack and Samara's biotics eased us towards the earth a little too speedily for my liking.